As social media following takes over the media, an actor’s social involvement, specifically the number of social media followers, is becoming a key requirement for roles. This new focus is putting professional actors in a tight spot.
Actors like Zinande Mfenyana, Keke Mphuthi, and Linda Sokhulu, have expressed their confusion and frustration that their acting talent is being overlooked or neglected in favour of their social media following.
In an interview with Power FM, Mfenyana opened up about the industry preferring to take someone for their social media following than recognising one for their talent.
“We’re in such a social media frenzy world where even at an audition you have to write how many followers you have, and I always leave it out cause I’m always like, ‘What does this have to do with my talent?’”
Online following has become the primary criterion for securing roles, frequently sidelining formal training and genuine talent.
When Actress Keke Mphuthi was on the “Engineer Your Life” podcast, she voiced strong concerns about this trend, stating: “Bring in actors who really want to tell stories, not influencers, that has become our biggest downfall because we see a lot of that it’s almost like you need to be a TikToker for you to become an actor.”
She questioned the implications for dedicated professionals, asking, “What about those who actually put in the work? What then happens to us?”
Some actors feel disadvantaged because they have social anxiety and prefer not to be socially involved.
In a podcast with Relebogile Mabotja actress Linda Sokhulu commented on the trend of influencers getting acting roles based on their social media following, expressing concern for artists who are unwilling to expose their private lives for publicity.
She noted: “I think it is unfortunate when a person who cares about a craft doesn’t have a propensity to outrightly advertise life, and is then seen as a lesser artist because they’re not willing to expose. I think it’s sad.”
Sokhulu further questioned the belief that a large following guarantees success, stating, “It’s never been proved by the way that when you’ve got fifteen million followers, therefore you can make the show popular, it’s never been proven to be a success.”
This dynamic has profoundly affected many influencers’ careers. While some failed to connect with audiences and subsequently abandoned their acting ambitions, others, such as Ntando Duma, Moshe Ndiki, and Farieda Metsileng, successfully transitioned, maintaining their popularity and achieving considerable success in the field.
IOL
